Heading into the Christmas season,
we find ourselves unable to avoid the emphasis on gifts, parties, and the
music and rhyme of the Dickensian Christmas. We extend each other wishes
containing references to Peace on Earth and goodwill to men.
Our seasonal patron saint is a red-suited, jolly, well-fed,
white man.
Obscured by this imposed blanket of sentiment and nostalgia,
is that the entire holiday commemorates the birth of the Christian savior,
in the little town of Bethlehem, deep inside the most conflict-ridden territory
on earth; It is ironic in both geography and events, and demonstrates
the idiocy of mixing causes with guns.
Almost since the founding of Christianity war has featured
either the defence or the promotion of all faiths. The Crusades, the
Moorish invasions, stealing the New World all wreaked violence in the name
of a god on the unknowing or the objecting. The Holocaust
was perpetrated by Christians. Sadly, the jolly, fat white guy still
made his rounds while Auschwitz smoked. If ever Christmas was
severed from its religious intent, it was then.
As we read this, there is a conflict under way in the
birthplace of Christendom, that involves 3 major religions in the world; Christianity,
Judaism and Islam. Under the cover name of ‘oil’ or ‘democracy’, humans are
at war and although each of the causes professes Faith, Hope and Love, it
seems the preferred voice for spreading The Word, is the rattle of gunfire.
Lying, terror and murder are the instruments of imposing Peace on Earth where
the various faiths come into friction.
Perhaps the most comfortable means of enjoying Christmas
in our “here and now” way, is to finally separate the birth of Jesus, from
the non-secular celebrations. Let joyful materialism run free.
We can have our turkey and toys without guilt. To those who desire that
the religious significance reign supreme, we could suggest that they first
stop killing people under religious sponsorship.

The drive of religion to improve the
spiritual could be better applied to provide Peace, Order and health
protection; making opportunity accessible through channels other than those
controlled by the cabals, fraternities and alliances of existing privilege;
and that we acquire gold, land, food, and oil through honest dealing.
In this paradigm, it matters not which religion or
feast-day we observe. Let us celebrate our Christmas festivities free
from the application of religious cant. As heretical as this sounds
it is the only way to rationalize what is otherwise hypocritical. The Muslim
should celebrate Ramadan, the Jew should have Chanukah while the philistines
in every faith can make war for whatever reason their paid liars can promote.
This minor moral schizophrenia can actually make us feel better.
The Christmas we know, should be a truly happy, blissful
time, without spiritual strings attached. It is for the child in all
of us. Bring on the red-suited, bearded, jolly, well-fed, white guy.
Go forth and celebrate.

From as long ago as ancient druid
tradition, the mistletoe was seen as a sign of peace and goodwill. Warring
tribes who chanced across it would stop fighting to observe a temporary truce.
Today, many cultures use mistletoe as a symbol of love and fertility. According
to most current day traditions, a young woman simply stands under the mistletoe
and awaits her lover's kiss, however gentlemen beware as in some European
cultures kissing a woman under mistletoe is a proposal of marriage!